A Romance of Wastdale

gagement, and then I went out to Poonah on a visit to m

er. I did not

sted. You k

know w

shiver. If only he had understood

he been able, but she felt irresistibly impelled to lay all her disloyalty bare before his eyes--to show him at how empty a shrine he had been worshipping. It seemed to her al

you--to slip out of my shackles for a time. So

nched fist down on the table with all his strength. The glasses on it rattled at the blow, and the tumbler wh

"He was here to-night, drinking with

w her skirts away from

recovering his composure,

r painfully after his forbearance. She paused for a moment, looking at him anxi

, indeed, no attention; but all the time I felt that he was consciously and deliberately taking possession of me, and I made no struggle to resist him. He became my master--imposed himself upon me until I lost the sense of respon

in a level regularity, without rise or fall, and she was abstractedly smoothing out one of the broad ribbons of her sash--an old trick of hers,

e way for men

women,

ng like buying one's

ing with his body bent forward and his chin pressed against his chest; his hands were clenche

" he mu

ossed out of her apathy by a sudden compre

ied, hoarsely. "Go on

nce, but I was worn out by the heat, and remained at home. It was very hot; there was hardly a breath of air, I remember, and I curled mysel

that before yo

mon

kept writing home to me and say

e fact before his eyes, and forced him to contemplate it. He felt that his world was top

e to you and break the engagement off; but he would not let me. I suppose he was

eyed him in

e. He made me write those letters to you;" and she added, wi

hy

usted him, and you seemed a kind of anchor for

t she had been willing to retain her hold on him for much the same reason which had made him cling to her--out of an instinctive need to feel something stable in a world of shadow. She had taken an open knife from

almost with a smile, "y

lf. I mean," she went on, noticing the surprise in the

ha

shed and killed. The idea sent a thrill through his veins. The lust for revenge sprang up, winged and armed, in a flame of hatred. His imagination pictured the scene, clear cut as

on Kate in

d as he did it, I suppose. Did h

orking with passion. His aspect terrified her. She dared n

is shoulders rounded and his head thrust forward. His lips were drawn back from his teeth, and there was something catlike in his tread,

d. "You frighten me.

s it? He beat his forehead with the palms of his hands in the effort to recollect. If onl

he was read

at Poonah," she answered, submissively. "I never thought t

three he

I ever wrote to him. There were

! I

Calcutta, Aden, Brindisi and the las

never writ

him since until he compe

crossed her mind. In a moment, however, she

er way. I dared not leave those lett

looking straight at Gordon; and he saw a flame commence to glow in th

at?" he queried

her feet. "Oh, yes, you would! I forgot. Oh,

nd her repetition of his thought, coupled with a weary gesture of despa

e asked, hesitatingly. "Yo

a mind in doubt, as to its choice of actio

cared for him,

They were standing opposite to one another, and the

of it all to me--that I never cared for him. It doubles my shame. He dominated me when he was with me, close to me, by my

m in a ring of flame which, by its very brightness, made the world beyond look colourless and empty, she could have found some plea to alleviate

r really car

ared or not; the sin lay between them none the less. She watched his face for the solution. Perplexity was shown in the contracted forehead and in a tremulous twitching of the lips. As a matter of fact, Gordon was hunting a will-

e broken off our engage

I said

u returned to England a

from his manner than his question, and

I felt the need of some one I could trust more than ev

osen a wrong turning. A quick traverse, howev

o justify her--valid not only to her parents, but to the man. And I knew yo

no sign, and she repeated he

rue all the same. I knew that

bt. The way in which he drew his breath, now in short, jerky catches, now in a

the trees through the open door. Kate looked a

k while they are still asleep--asleep." She spoke the word again w

hen," she resumed,

and she turned away in

w that would be too late. It would be time enough then to consider the consequences of his choice, how best to cope with them and force them to his service; but the choice itself could not be deferred. For if he let h

t silence. His mind played with the idea and carried it further. It pictured him standing alone in the empty darkness and the girl

aid on his arm: Ka

av

ing to the br

h stood quiet in the

u hear in i

tell you.

ome flowing down and dow

d, her voice bre

er eyes, and they shone very softly on him now. H

ve you. I must believe you. For if I lose faith in you, I lose faith in everything. You have b

g." The sentence showed the exotic sickliness of his faith, demonstrated it no vital inherent part of him rooted in his being, but an alien graft watered and kept alive by his passion. He had not the sturdiness to accept the facts, nor the sincerity to foresee the possibility of redemption. He would marr

orward, caught a glimpse of the day when the sham would shre

was no response in them. He held her closer, placed one hand behind her head and tur

ell me that it isn't true! Ever

ng," she replied, with a flash of her old p

so yourself. Tell me that it isn't true! Lie to me, if you mu

f no use either

her afresh. Besides, the knowledge of the truth vibrated in every tone of his voice, and his

was just a chance of our joining hands aga

t under

ay som

all that you heard Austen Hawke say, all tha

nto the room, while Gordon sank upo

ut to him again

my shawl? I c

way from the Inn?"

ate start. She must

said; "I will get it

ch and took down a lantho

with you to the

," she said. "I

y w

of replacing it, but

ng one with

N

ep you from stumbling when you are rid

r head and they passed